Hazel Mystery
by kitty-moogles
Summary: An intelligent, cocky doctor meets a mysterious hazel eyed woman in his local coffeeshop. KelNeal Modern
1. Chapter 1

**I thought it was about time someone wrote a modern KelNeal... I've only ever read one before, but I've come to like modern fics because they're different to the usual stuff. I particularly like "The Billionaire Scientist & His Secretary"... it's a humorous modern DaineNumair. And it rocks. Well, anyway, I thought I'd change Kel's character a bit, to make her match with the modern world - I think that if she was in Tortall she'd be at the Scanran border by the age she gives... It's quite a short chapter but it doesn't cover a very long amount of time, so I hope you like it and please review! (And if you like KelNeal you might like some of my other fanfiction)**

**

* * *

**  
Brown leaves glazed with early morning frost littered the road as a young man crossed the street and pushed against the café door. The shop was in the midst of the morning rush of business-men and women converging on the coffee shops in hopes of an energising dose of caffeine before hurrying off to work. Because of this wave of customers, all the waitresses were taken and the young man had to traverse round the cramped tables and chairs, all occupied, to reach the till.

"The usual, please, Eleni," requested the man, drumming his fingers against the cold, tacky plastic surface where the till was set up. "Busier than usual, I see."

Eleni smiled wearily at him, her weatherworn skin stretching and her brown hair with subtle streaks of grey wobbling in its bun. "Good to see you, Neal. Yes, we are quite busy." The woman looked around the room. "It's the first day of work after Christmas. We all need something to wake us up after a little time off," she said, pulling out a mug and spoon. She didn't meet his emerald eyes as she prepared his black coffee, sliding it with gnarled fingers in front of him. He already had all the right coins ready - he'd been visiting the little shop for more than a year and knew the price of his regular morning coffee by heart.

"Have a good day, Eleni." He grasped the mug and scanned the room for a seat. Just as he was about to give up, his eyes flickered over an empty chair in the corner by the window. It was a table for two, and the other seat was taken by a woman in her early twenties, chestnut brown hair gleaming from behind a book with no indication of the title. "Uhm… excuse me? Is this seat free?"

The woman lowered the book and gazed up at him intently, surveying him with sparkling hazel eyes behind thin-framed glasses. Her mouth was full and slightly stubborn, but conveyed no emotion. It was as though her entire face but her eyes was dead. She continued to watch him as though she was slowly figuring him out, reading his mind and every record of his past and his personality. Finally, she nodded, and returned to her book.

Neal dropped into the awkward plastic chair and took a sip from his scalding coffee, wincing as the liquid made contact with his tongue. He placed it upon the table and began to drum his fingers against the plastic, a regular habit of his when trying to pass time. He glanced at her book, but the dust cover was a midnight-black with no text upon it. Slowly curiosity began to grow until he couldn't contain it any longer. "So… what are you reading?"

When her face rose from the pages, her eyes were burning with some sort of emotion, but the rest of her face was blank. "Nothing you'd be interested in." She buried her skull back into the book as though she definitely did not want a reply. Neal couldn't help but feel attracted to this slightly mysterious bookworm, letting his thoughts wander. _Playing hard-to-get, eh?_

"Try me," he suggested, leaning an elbow against the table to get a better view of her.

"I don't think so." This time, she didn't even remove her face from the pages, but her voice was obviously annoyed and tinged with impatience.

"Why not? I'm a clever guy!" Neal persisted. "I like books too!"

"I never said I liked books. If my memory serves me well, I didn't initiate conversation at all. I never gave any notion that I wanted to continue this dull, one-sided conversation. I need to finish this book by tomorrow morning, so why don't we make this a nought-sided conversation?"

Neal raised his eyebrows, but she was too absorbed in her book to notice.

"So… what's your-"

"You just don't give up, do you?" The woman dropped her book with a small slam, folding her arms and leaning back on her chair. "Would you like to know my entire life history? I can give you a condensed version, if you _want_. I was born exactly twenty one years, one month and seven days ago, named Keladry Mindelan, moved to Japan for six years, then came back to this country. I started school, and last month I moved over here and now, here I am at university, sitting at this coffee shop I've never been to before with half an hour to go until I need to be there and a monstrous book I need to read for my work tomorrow, being bothered by some complete moron with a devastatingly annoying lack of modern manners who wants to talk like we actually know each other when I'd probably rather endure giant African Land Snails slithering all over me, and with these really irritating green eyes that keep distracting me from my book. Now, if you really want me to be sitting here tomorrow looking like I slept on the streets because I had to stay up all night to even have a chance of finishing this book in time, then I suggest you please stop trying to make conversation whether you know my condensed life history or not, hurry up and finish your stupid coffee and get the hell out of here so I can actually think properly."

"Wow," breathed Neal. "Well, ok, if that's what you want. I have to be leaving in five minutes, so you'll get lots of peace and quiet until some other guy starts bothering you."

Keladry didn't reply, but as Neal got up from his chair (having spent as long as possible drinking his coffee in hopes that she'd change her mind and try and talk to him, or even just shout at him again - she was so cute when she was angry) he could have sworn he heard an exasperated, "_Finally," _sound from behind her book.

"See you tomorrow, Keladry! Save me a seat," he called with a wicked grin, thrusting the door open and turning just in time to see her scowl before he strolled off up the street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Valentine's Day! I've spent pretty much all of today writing this fanfiction, because I'm bored and single. I'm basically taking this fanfiction as the oppurtunity to mess with dialogue and developing character personalities, and channeling some of my useless ideas into something I'm really enjoying writing. Every half an hour I find myself closing my eyes and having a brainstorm for what to write next, even when I'm in the middle of eating or watching TV... Updates will be VERY frequent because of the tiny length of each chapter, but the actual fic is going to be about eight chapters long, and will turn out to be a KelNeal. Just like everything else I write. I SWEAR, IT'S NOT MY FAULT! THE KEL/NEAL FAIRY KEEPS DELETING EVERY OTHER PAIRING I WRITE! **

**Hope you like it: I'm not expecting very many reviews for such a weird fic, but they'd be appreciated... -cough HINT cough- **

**Hope you all have/had a great Valentine's day! **

"Hey, Keladry. Thanks for saving me that seat," Neal smirked, sliding into the same seat he'd had yesterday. Once again, the hazel-eyed woman was curled up in the window seat with the same book in her lap.

"I didn't save you that seat. This place is nearly deserted. You're half an hour earlier than you were yesterday," Keladry remarked from behind the book.

"I wanted to see how early you got here," Neal replied, wrapping his cold hands around his coffee mug in an attempt to warm them up.

"Great," came her reply. "Now you can annoy me for even _longer_ than yesterday."

"I know. Isn't it wonderful, Keladry?"

"Stop calling me that! It's the most horrific name I've ever heard! Just call me Kel, ok? Or better yet, stay away so you won't _need_ to call me anything."

"Hey, hey! Calm down!" Neal said, waving his hands in a sign of surrender. "Aren't you going to get to finish your book or something?"

"If you haven't already realised by the huge circles under my eyes, yes, I _am _going to finish it, but I had to stay up half the night to do so. I now look like a cross between a panda and a cow, which isn't really the way I _want _to look on this particular day."

Neal leaned forward and pulled her book away so he could see her face. "You're really pretty. Stop putting yourself down." His voice was completely truthful and innocent.

Speechless, Kel glared at him and snatched at her book.

"Aw, come on, Kel, you only have four more pages to go! Just talk to me for a few minutes!" Kel didn't reply, which Neal took as a "fine, if I have to," and continued to talk. "Well, seeing as you gave me your condensed life history, why don't I give you mine? Well, my birthday is in two weeks, which means that I'm two weeks away from being twenty-five - I'm normally known as 'Dr. Queenscove' but all my friends call me Neal. Yeah, I'm a doctor, and my father is too, and basically, I have lived here all my life and have never met anyone quite like you, and am currently involved in a completely forced conversation with you even though you don't really want to but don't have any excuses, and even though you try not to show it, you seem to be a really interesting, creative person with a... somewhat frosty reception to strangers, but otherwise you seem to be really nice and I like you."

Kel was rolling her eyes all through his "condensed life history" and kept eyeing her book which Neal was currently using as an armrest, as though she was concocting a plan to get it back. "Well, Dr. Queenscove, if you're quite done, I'd like to return to my book," she said in a strained voice, hand creeping over to the object in question.

"It's just Neal," he said, watching her hand from the corner of his eye, knowing she thought he wasn't looking. "Not so fast," he said suddenly, whipping his hand out and capturing hers. "Are you just some complete recluse, or do you really not like speaking to me?" Kel was flexing her hand with surprising strength, though her cheeks were flushed with scarlet.

"I just don't like speaking to you," she answered through gritted teeth. "You keep implying we're friends, and we're not."

"I'd _like _to be friends," Neal replied quickly, releasing her hand and offering the book. "You know, you genuinely seem like a nice person. I wouldn't spend so much time trying to be friendly to someone I didn't even like. Come on, we can make a compromise."

"Hang on... I'm just going to _buy_ another _coffee," _Kel said, emphasising each key word. Neal watched her walk up to the till, then was distracted when he realised she'd taken her bag and her book with her. When he looked around the coffee shop again, she was gone.

Neal spent the remainder of his time there (greatly elongated because of his early arrival) drumming his fingers on his empty mug, wondering why she was so mysterious and quick to anger.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Yeah, I know, but I SAID updates would be frequent...Look, I just finished writing Chapter 5, ok! This chapter's slightly longer than the first two, with some dialogue I really, really enjoyed writing - thanks for all the reviews, they give me motivation. I'm thinking of writing some more modern fics - they're fun and different... if a little weird... hope you like the chapter! **

* * *

Neal strolled out the apartment block and began to walk the short distance to the coffee shop. He locked his eyes onto the door across the street. A small gathering was swarming around the door, making Neal frown. He was only five minutes later than he had been the day before yet a small crowd were already there - they didn't seem to be moving much, which meant that they were having trouble getting through the door or that there wasn't any seats left. Then Neal saw the familiar shiny chestnut hair, and he rushed over to watch her as she reached the door.

"Why won't you let Jump in? He's perfectly harmless!" she protested to Eleni who was standing, hands on hips, in the doorway.

"No animals allowed. Sorry. You'll have to get rid of the dog if you want to come in." Kel glared at her menacingly and crossed her arms. Half of the crowd began to leave, the ruckus over, and the others filed into the shop while Eleni pointedly stood outside the door and watched Kel and her dog, Jump.

"The coffee shop I _used _to go to let Jump in..." mumbled Kel. Neal reached forward and tapped her shoulder.

"Having trouble?" he asked, his face the picture of innocence.

"Oh, shut up," Kel snapped, turning on her heel and beginning to walk off. Neal noticed the mangled dog wasn't even on a lead - no wonder Eleni hadn't let her in!

"Hey! Where are you going?" Neal began to run after her, feet thumping against the pavement.

"To find somewhere with people who have enough sanity to let me and my dog in," she answered without turning round.

"I don't think there's anywhere like that around here." Neal finally caught up with her - she was a very fast walker with a long stride. She was almost six foot tall! He caught her arm, and she turned to scowl at him. "You could come back to my apartment - I have a coffee maker," he offered, hoping she wouldn't assume anything about his offer. Okay, maybe he did like her, but he wasn't just going to go off and do something stupid. He'd only known her for two days...

Kel's face was sceptical. "A _nice _coffee maker? Not cheap junk?"

"Not cheap junk," Neal chuckled, and he leant down to scratch Jump's neck. "Not a very pretty dog you've got, either."

Kel took a deep breath and explained, "He used to be a stray. Besides, personality is better than good looks."

"Some people might not agree with you there... good thing I've got both then, eh?" Neal hadn't been expecting any kind of acknowledgement from her, but a tiny smile lit Kel's face, though she masked it with a cross between a scowl and a glare. She was really beautiful when she smiled. She looked like a real person rather than a robot. "Come on, then - it's this way."

Kel followed obediently as he led the way over to the block of apartments. She observed each building she passed and each room she entered carefully, as though cataloguing all the details she saw in her mind for future reference. Neal watched her do so whilst wondering why on earth she'd accepted his offer rather than what he'd expected: a snappy reply or an aggravated insult. He gestured her into a lift and stabbed at a button. They then stepped out and Kel surveyed the hall; a rather dingy place where you might expect to find some homeless people or young teenagers causing havoc. Neal slid his key into the lock of apartment 26 and opened the door, revealing his 'bachelor pad' to the hazel-eyed mystery at his side.

His apartment was small, with an open-plan kitchen/living room in modern colours and two doors leading off from the opposite wall. He had very little clutter, but a lot of modern furniture filled the room. Slowly, she removed her black coat and allowed him to hang it up at the door. "Make yourself comfortable - I'll get the coffee maker set up. What do you take?"

"Milk, one sugar," she replied, walking round the coffee table to his snow-white couch. Looking completely at home, she sunk into the thick cushions while her dog trotted in and curled up on the rug.

"Hey, you match the furniture," Neal said, standing over a stainless steel coffeemaker. It was true: she wore a close-fitting black top with long sleeves and dark jeans with black knee boots, completely blending into the white sofa and black cushions.

"Just shows what bad taste I have," she remarked, her voice lighter and slightly more cheerful than the usual outside. Neal walked in with the two cups of coffee just in time to see her sliding her boots off, revealing delicate feet (no socks) which she tucked beneath her and leaned against the armrest. She looked like one of those people in a sofa advert, relaxing on some pristine sofa as though she actually owned it. "Oh - you don't mind, do you?" she asked hurriedly, nodding her head to her bare feet.

"No - I said make yourself at home." As though proving his point, he removed his tie, tugged off his suit jacket and undid the first couple of buttons of his shirt, revealing a muscled chest. He reached forward and took hold of his coffee, taking a sip. Kel followed suit. They continued this in silence for several minutes, sipping slowly while Kel's eyes wondered over Neal's apartment and Neal's eyes wondered over her.

To his surprise, she was the one to initiate conversation. "Why do you go to that dingy café down the street if you have such a good coffee maker?"

"I like bothering people who are trying to read," he replied seriously.

"You're even meaner than I first thought."

"Well, normally I'm obliged to have good manners in public, but seeing as this I own this apartment, I can be honest," he said with a sly grin, raising his coffee in a toast. "To being honest." Kel's eyebrows were sky-high, but she raised her drink too and clinked it against his cup.

"How did the work on that book go, then?" Neal asked casually in a voice that suggested he wasn't actually that interested in the subject, but that he just wanted to make conversation.

Kel shrugged and replied, "Ok. I almost fell asleep halfway through, but I survived."

"I still want to know what that book was called," Neal said, placing his mug back on the table.

"Well, you'll just have to try and forget you ever saw me reading anything. Forget you ever met me. I know_ I'd _certainly like that." Her suggestions that she didn't want to talk to him were more light-hearted and cheerful than in the coffee shop.

"Are you in a good mood today or something?"

"No, but I'm here on my own free will rather than you interrupting my reading in the café, which means that I got myself into this and I ought to make the best of it," she replied solemnly, cradling the coffee cup in her lap with a thoughtful glance at the ceiling.

"Clever logic, there..."

Silence lingered between them for another few minutes before Neal broke it.

"What are you going to be when you're older?"

"More questions? What are you, some police interrogator trying to find out if I've got a TV license or something?"

"No, but that'd be a _really _good excuse to get to know you better," he smirked.

"Well thank god you already told me you're a doctor," she said with a teasing grin, one of the first he'd ever seen from her. "And it's also a good thing that I need to be leaving soon."

"Hang on, does your dog want anything?"

"I wouldn't know, why don't you _ask _him?"

Neal rolled his eyes. "That's a no, then?

"Aren't you clever," she remarked, standing up. "Thanks for the coffee, anyway. I guess if I leave Jump at a kennel tonight, I won't have to go through this tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. But this sure was better than sitting in that coffee shop and forcing you to talk to me through book blackmail," Neal said, also standing up. "We should do it again - that way, your dog will get some exercise." Ok. It was a rubbish excuse - he could have said ANYTHING, but he had to make something up about her ugly dog.

"Maybe on Monday," Kel called over her shoulder, beginning to walk over to the door. "I can let myself out - you should do something about that coffee you spilled on the carpet."

"Huh? Oh -" Neal scowled at the brown circle on the rug. "Damnit!" The door slammed shut - Kel had left. He hadn't even realised her dog had got up and left with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bonjour, mon amis...! Welcome to chapter four! I have some cool news: I just wrote the final chapter, so it is now official: This fanfiction is going to be eight chapters long. I'm really pleased with the reviews this is getting: I KNOW it's weird, and I KNOW it's different, but that's the whole point! Not many people write modern Kel fics, which is a shame (to me, at least) and I just thought I'd try it out. So, thanks for all the reviews, and hope you like this chapter (it's quite long, because it covers three days). I'm preparing the next chapter for upload right now, but I'll post it tomorrow. Hope you enjoy, and please review... ¡Adios!**

"You're later than usual," Neal pointed out from his usual seat at their table as Kel walked over with her coffee. She didn't say anything in reply. "Couldn't bring yourself to get over here after tasting the rich wealthy flavour of the exquisite delights created by my coffee maker?"

"No, I was just _so excited _about being bothered by you today that I forgot half of my books," she replied sarcastically, examining the grubby coffee cup in her hands with an expression of disgust. "Well, I feel wide awake now I've seen _that._" She pushed the mug away and looked out the window absent-mindedly.

"Hey, you aren't wearing your glasses today," observed Neal.

"Maybe I just wanted to know how much you were staring at me," she said, watching the antics of a dog dragging its owner down the street. "Or maybe I'm wearing contact lenses."

"I've never seen you wearing contact lenses before."

"We only met on Monday. Funnily enough, that wasn't that long ago. Please stop talking to me, or people might actually think we're friends."

Neal drew in a sharp breath. "Ooh, she's mean." Kel scowled at him, an exact mirror of the scowls she'd given him on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday's light-hearted jokes were gone. She tugged a book out her bag, identical to the one she'd read before but smaller and thinner. Once again, the dust cover was plain midnight-black. She held it as though it were delicate, her slightly calloused but none-the-less beautiful fingers holding it gently. "What are you reading now?"

"None of your business," she grumbled, shifting in her seat.

"Let me see," Neal requested, reaching forward and snatching the book from her grasp. He twisted it so he could see the words. _Romeo, Romeo, where art thou - (A/N I've never read Romeo and Juliet, so I'm not sure if that's the exact words... Sorry!)_

"Shakespeare!" he spluttered, bursting into laughter. "Romeo and Juliet!" Crimson crept into Kel's face and she tried to grab it from him.

"Give that back!" she cried.

"Ooh, you're such a romanticist at heart, Kel... I'd never have known..." Kel snarled at him and he handed the book back with a mortified face. She shoved it back in her bag and stormed out the shop. Neal cast a wistful glance to his coffee before rushing out after her.

"Hey! Kel, come on, I was just joking!" he called, seeing her gleaming bun bouncing as she strode away from him. He broke into a jog, squeezing between the crowd and muttering apologies to the people who shouted for him to watch where he was going. "Kel, stop!"

"You're so goddamn nosy," someone muttered behind him, and he twisted to see Kel had tricked him: she'd ducked into the crowd and sneaked up behind him.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry! I just want to know more about you." He shrugged and watched her hazel eyes survey him.

"Whatever." She smoothed her hands over her hair to check it wasn't messed up and looked away from him. "I have to go to the library. Overdue books."

She didn't wait for a reply before strolling off.

**

* * *

**  
"Kel! Hi!"

Kel looked up from her book and raised her eyebrows in amusement as Neal almost tripped over someone's chair. In a most un-Kel-like manner, she even raised her hand and waved to him. _Someone's in a good mood... _Neal decided to avoid his usual black coffee and went for a Coca Cola instead, and then headed for the chair that he'd sat in since Monday.

"Hey, Neal, hang on!" Kel said quickly, struggling to stand up and grab his arm before he reached their table. "Be careful, don't want you to trip over any more chairs or anything..."

"You in a good mood, then?"

"It's Friday. The weekend starts tonight. I get to make up for that lost sleep you caused me. Pillock."

"Well, I'm going to make you jealous. I have a day off today... SO THERE!" Neal stuck his tongue out at her playfully and slumped into the chair. Kel took her seat too.

"Big mistake, Neal. I can make you more jealous than... uh... jealousy itself! Number 1 - I am no way NEAR as clumsy as you. Number 2 - I don't have to talk to complete strangers to make people think I have friends. Number 3 - Don't doctors get insane amounts of work? Number 4 -"

"Hey, hey, I surrender! Sheesh! I'll remember not to make you jealous ever again!" Neal took a swig of his coke. "So, you still on for Monday?"

"Monday...?"

"You know, coming round my house for coffee again."

"Oh. Yeah, whatever."

"Hmm." Neal leaned forward and squinted at her. "You make out that you're not bothered, but I bet you cannot _wait_. I'm a _doctor. _I _know _these things."

"Uh huh." Kel brought a look of disinterest onto her face, grabbed her coffee cup and began to circle her finger around the rim. "Didn't you say your birthday is some when soon?"

"Yeah. Ten days time." He paused and looked thoughtful. "Hey, I'm cooking dinner and some of my friends are coming - do you wanna come too?"

Kel pretended to choke and said, "You really do have _friends!_"

"Why don't you come and find out?" Neal suggested.

"But I'll have to get you a present... what the hell would I get someone as boring as you!"

"I don't know - a pair of socks, maybe? I like socks..."

"Oh - hang on, I'm going to see my parents for a while - I don't know if I'll be able to go..."

"You _are _coming. Tell your parents to go stuff themselves - my birthday is way more important than some stupid family you've known for more than two decades." Neal found himself talking to his bottle of Coca Cola, and forced himself to look up. Kel was tapping a finger against her mouth thoughtfully.

"I guess I could only stay there for a few days. It's not like I can't go see them some other time. So - yeah, okay."

"Before you do, there's no need to thank me - I'm just setting you up with some contacts here - they're really cool guys -"

Kel made a coughing noise which sounded oddly like "GEEKS" and smiled forcefully at him when he glared at her.

"Oh dear," he said, glancing at his watch. "I have some moping around to do - you gonna be ok here on your own?" Kel scowled and turned away from him to cast her eyes out the window.

"See you on Monday. I'll come down to your apartment, I remember the way," she said absently. Neal nodded slowly as though he thought she could see it and left.

* * *

"Gah!" Neal threw himself to the door and pulled it open. "I was so close... and then you knocked on the door..." 

"Huh?" Kel frowned at his dishevelled state and removed her coat.

"My _tie," _Neal explained, brandishing the strip of material half-heartedly. "I'm really bad at doing these things up."

Kel rolled her eyes and walked up to him, snatching the tie and whipping it round his head. "You're lucky this happened today, and not tomorrow, or you wouldn't be wearing a tie to work." Without realising, she was standing incredibly close to him, making his breathing come harder. He was staring right down into her fresh-smelling hair while she examined the tie and began to do it up. Each movement she made was precise and well-practiced as though she was always helping other people do up their ties, but somehow elegant. Slowly, she slid the tie up and neatened his collar. "There." She stepped back and didn't seem to realise that Neal was staring at her intently.

"So, you gonna make some coffee or something?" She looked around the apartment as though she'd never been there before and turned back when Neal hadn't moved. "Uh... hello? WHAT! Why are you STARING at me!"

"Oh - uh, sorry, spaced out a bit there..." Neal gestured for Kel to go sit on the sofa, and he walked into the kitchen. "Must be a Monday thing," he said, stabbing a button on the coffee maker.

"Mmhmm..." Kel was once again sliding off her shoes - today she wore ankle boots with light blue jeans and a simple green top. She brought her knees up to her chin and gazed at the ceiling dreamily. "Tell me about next Monday (A/N That's Neal's birthday, that's when he's cooking dinner, in case you're confused). I don't have to dress up, do I?"

"Yeah." Kel grumbled something and Neal leaned over the kitchen worktop to shoot her a funny look. "What! I'd like to see you in something nice; a dress, maybe."

"Doesn't mean I like wearing them though," she shot back, stretching out. "Never knew you were a chef."

"I'm not."

"Oh, _great_. I just can't _wait _to force myself to swallow something burnt and lumpy..."

"If it's that bad, I'll order pizza," Neal said, handing her a mug and dropping onto a seat opposite her. "You're so sarcastic."

"Oh, and you're not?"

"I'm not as sarcastic as you," he answered, glancing down at the carpet, looking up, and then doing a double-take. "Hey, where's your dog?"

"He's with my friend." She frowned at him and said, "And don't even think of doing that 'You really do have _friends?_' thing."

"I wasn't going to! Of _course_ you have friends! Of _course_."

"Is that the best you can come up with? You're hopeless."

Neal snorted comically. "At least I don't read Shakespeare at 8am in the morning slap bang in the middle of a coffee shop."

"Probably better than anything _you _like reading..." Kel replied.

"Ok, ok, I think we should stop insulting each other now - it gets a bit monotonous." (A/N Ha, I love that word...)

"You don't say." Kel was once again surveying the room. They sat in silence for more than five minutes, then started up another long conversation on books.

"WHO! I've never even heard of them," Neal smirked, draining the last of his coffee.

"The best authors are often unheard of."

"Well, I still can't believe you read Romeo and Juliet... I mean, _you! _Keladry Mindelan! Romeo and Juliet!"

"If you're gonna be like that, I'm leaving..."

"Hey, no, don't go!" Neal protested, shooting up from his seat.

"I have to go anyway," she told him with a shrug, tugging on her boots. "I'm driving down to my parent's place tonight, so I won't be at the café all week." Neal's face must have fallen, because Kel laughed, a sound which made Neal feel slightly giddy. He made himself promise he would make her laugh again, just because it made him feel good. "Yeah, how will you survive without me... but I'll get down here on Monday for your birthday thing - what time should I get here for?"

"About seven pm. Be there, or be square."

Kel smirked at the stupid saying as she tugged on her coat and waved to him as she opened the door and left.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Thanks for the kind reviews, I always get kind of hyped up after reading them so I'm a bit mad right now. Well, a few points to make about the reviews:

**1. Cleon does feature in this chapter. But there's going to be lots of Cleon flaming. So it's all ok. **

**2. Good spelling is all thanks to my tiny obsession with grammar/spelling, and also something to do with someone I sit near inmy Physics class who has a huge obsession with apostrophes. So... uh, well... meh... that was pointless. Moving on. **

**3. If you remember in Chapter 1 I said I'd only read one modern Kel/Neal before, and by some strange coincidence I found it today! It's called Tea Leaves by elemental-girl and it is very very good :) You should read it. I took some distant inspiration from it so if you like this fanfiction you will love Tea Leaves. Probably. If you don't, please don't sue me...**

So... yeah. Hope you like the chapter, it's a bit short as I'm completely hopeless at writing long periods of time as I run out of good dialogue and get so unhappy with it I end up deleting the entire thing. And now I'm just rambling on and on when I have things to do... I'll post the next chapter tomorrow. Until then, my knaves!

**

* * *

**

"Kel - uh, wow, you look great."

Neal flashed a smile to her and beckoned her in. "I'll introduce you to everyone." Kel nodded and let Neal help her take off her coat, then smoothed her hands down her chocolate brown silky dress. She peered over Neal's shoulder and observed the couple of guys standing in his living room and just two other women.

"Everyone, this is Kel." They all smiled at her, but she kept her face blank as she shook hands with some of them. "Kel, this is Cleon - Merric - Seaver - Roald - Owen... and Ermelian, Cleon's wife, and Shinko, Roald's wife." Kel shook hands with most of them, but couldn't reach half of them so ended up just shooting a couple of tiny smiles. Neal handed Kel a glass of wine, and she took a small sip, even though she wasn't particularly keen on alcohol.

"So... how did you two meet?" asked Shinko from beside her husband Roald. Kel hid a smile behind her hand and gave Neal a look which clearly read, "You can tell them."

"We... uh, met in a..." Neal cleared his throat and finished, "coffee shop..." Cleon threw back his head and roared in laughter while Kel made several mental notes. _1. Cleon is an idiotic twat. 2. Never talk to Cleon. 3. Try and come up with some joke about his stupidity. 4. Stand on his foot and pretend I don't notice. 5. Walk into him and make him spill his wine over his stupid shirt._

"At least it wasn't a blind date," snorted Merric, raising his eyebrows at Cleon and Ermelian with amusement. Kel grinned to herself.

"What are we eating, anyway?" Kel called to Neal who was busily showing off in the kitchen. Neal relayed some posh French name that she didn't understand at all.

"To the table, knaves! Grub's up!"

Kel rolled her eyes and called, "Way to ruin the moment, Neal..." He rushed through and set down all the plates, laden with food, onto the table. Shinko leaned forward and whispered something in Ermelian's ear, and they both giggled. Kel scowled into mid-air and began to make some more mental notes.

"Kel, you're sitting here... Cleon -"

Kel paused and looked down at the seat. "Hang on, why am I at the end of the table?"

"Because I'm at the head of the table because I'm most important, and you're the _second _most important because you're the person no one particularly knows very well," Neal stated, sliding into his seat.

"That doesn't make sense," Kel remarked from her seat.

"You know, Kel, you really need to stop complimenting me on my supreme sanity." He smirked and raised his wine glass in a toast. "To being honest." With a look which was a cross between rolling her eyes and a somewhat bemused smile, Kel raised her glass.

"Is this some private joke or something?" Cleon asked stupidly, but he raised his glass anyway. Kel found herself smirking to herself in complete satisfaction at his unbeaten stupidity.

A three course meal and a couple of glasses of wine later, Cleon was acting even stupider and Kel had laughed a record two times. Neal threw down his knife and fork and raised his glass again, swilling the small amount of wine left in his glass. "Well, this has been a most pleasant evening. See, I told you I wouldn't need to order pizza..." This got a small chuckle from Kel while the others just sat there wondering why they had so many private jokes when they met in a _coffee shop. _"But now I get to open some presents!" Small packages were passed down to Neal as he shoved his plate out the way. Kel's present was small and square.

Neal ripped into the first package and gazed down at its contents. "Uh - socks... thanks, Cleon..." It took all Kel's inner strength to stop herself from roaring just as Cleon had when he'd found they met in a coffee shop. "Chocolates! Thanks, Roald, Shinko!" He left Kel's small package till last, opening up all the other presents first. (I would list them, but I can't think of anything else to put. I'm not very imaginative...) Finally, he gently pulled away the dark wrapping paper and ribbon, revealing a small black square.

A book, with a midnight-black dust cover.

"Is this...?" Neal's voice trailed off as he carefully peeked under the dust cover.

"What is it?" asked Cleon, craning his long, pale neck to get a better view.

"It's a book," Ermelian told her husband. "What's it called?"

"That's for me to know and you to... not... find out," he replied mysteriously, flashing a dazzling smile in Kel's direction. "Thanks, Kel."

Neal proceeded to thank everyone else for their presents again, while Kel gazed around the room, tapping her wine glass against her chin. "Does anyone have the time?" she asked quietly. Seaver quickly replied that it was nine thirty, sending Kel into a flurry. "Sorry, Neal, but my friend is coming round to my house to drop off Jump, and I have to be there -"

"Hey, sure," Neal said, standing up and walking to the door. He continued in a hushed voice, "I'm sure I'll survive. This evening's been great: I don't think I've laughed at Cleon so much in my entire life..." Neal helped Kel put on her coat and turned her so they were looking at each other face to face. "Thanks for the book - was it the one you were reading..." Kel nodded with a look of amusement. "You'll be at the café tomorrow, right?"

"Sure," she replied. "I'd better go -"

"Not so fast," Neal interrupted, pulling her into an embrace. "You're one of my best friends and I've only known you two weeks. See you tomorrow."

"Bye," whispered Kel, slipping out the door and closing it gently.


	6. Chapter 6

**I present to you Chapter 6... a short, dull, ever so slightly humorous chapter with just a pinch of Cleon-flaming. It's not long now until the end of this fanfiction. Just two more chapters after this one. And you all need to mourn for me, because the school holidays are ending. Back to school on Monday. So the last chapter will be posted slightly later than usual. **

**But I have good news - I've started another modern Kel fanfiction! So we can all rejoice! Yay! It's nothing like this one. It's going to be a lot more humorous. **

**Hope you like the chapter, as per usual the next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Enjoy, and please review!

* * *

**  
"What did you think of her?" Neal asked, returning to the group of his friends in his bachelor pad. Shinko and Ermelian were engaged in a conversation about something the guys didn't have a clue about, and weren't listening.

"She was really quiet," remarked Seaver. "She hardly talked to any of us except you."

"Well, she doesn't know you!" Neal replied defensively.

"She hardly knows_ you_, either," Merric smirked. He was _always _smirking.

"Yeah, you just invited her round 'cos you wanted us to think she was your new girlfriend," Cleon added, folding his arms over his chest like he thought he was extremely clever for voicing this statement.

Neal just shrugged and replied, "Well, she's really nice, she's pretty, but I've only known her two weeks. Give me some credit!"

"Two weeks!" Roald snorted, sending Cleon into a fit of hysterical laughter. Neal glared at the grey-eyed redhead until slowly his laughter turned into a choking cough, then faded away completely.

"Look, I think I know her pretty well - her personality, anyway, so just stop with the 'two week coffee shop' thing already!"

"Neal, you're acting like a love struck retard. Just stop." Seaver hadn't said much, but he was always the first to call someone a retard. It was probably his favourite word.

"Yeah, Neal. She's _mine._"

"Don't get your hopes up, Merric. The way she glared at Cleon, I don't think she likes redheads," Roald said lightly. (A/N Merric does have red hair, right? Well - if he doesn't, let's just pretend he does.)

"Why don't we just return to the original question?" Neal asked, perching on the arm of the sofa.

"You're just changing the subject 'cos you don't want anyone else to announce their undying love for her, like Merric did! Can't take the competition, can you?"

Neal rolled his eyes. "You said it yourself - she hardly talked to any of you lot. I really don't think she's going to be interested in any of you."

"Okay, guys, stop flaming each other to a crisp," Roald said, shooting a look at Merric, who was about to shout at Neal for being _so modest_. "Neal, she seems really nice and she's really pretty, and I'm happy that you got yourself a new friend. And possibly a new girlfriend."

"Yeah. Me too," Neal murmured, more to himself than anyone else. His eyes glazed for a few moments as he wondered what Kel was doing at that moment, then resolved to get to know her much better at their little coffee shop conversations in the mornings.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there - updated a bit late today, sorry, I was working on a FFX-2 one-shot. This chapter is hopelessly short, but it's important. It's kind of cute, too :) And just a little bit more Cleon flaming. I love flaming Cleon. He's so easy to pick on. This is the penultimate chapter! -gasp- Yep, last chapter will be up tomorrow! And it's a nice chapter... Hmm. Yes. Well, to be honest, I think you should save all your amazing compliments for a review after you've read the final chapter. You could write a really long review about how you love my writing style and how great the plot was and how unusual my idea was, and how fabulous all the Cleon flaming was... Yeah. So, I'm not going to ask you to review for this chapter. But if you're bored you could review anyway... -looks hopeful- But make sure you're there tomorrow to read the last chapter! The first twenty readers get free cookies! I promise! -shifty eyes- Well... I won't be able to give out free cookies if my oven blows up, will I? But that won't happen. Of _course _it won't happen...  
**

**Enjoy!

* * *

**

"So... it's Valentine's Day tomorrow."

"Uh huh," Kel replied half-heartedly, tapping her finger against her cup of lukewarm coffee. Neal leaned forward and rested the side of his face in his hands, smiling at Kel playfully.

"You expecting to get anything?"

"Me?" Kel snorted, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms out. "I don't think so."

"It's funny," Neal said, gazing down into his coffee, "It's been more than two months since we first met."

"Wow," Kel said sarcastically. "Well done, you can count."

"Hey!" Neal punched her playfully on the arm as he might to one of his close friends (Merric or Roald or someone. Not that idiot Cleon. He'd probably faint in surprise.) "You're so sarcastic. I thought you'd be less sarcastic when I knew you better, but you're not."

"This is the most mind-numbing conversation I have ever had."

"Stop insulting me!" Neal said defensively. "You're _always _insulting me!"

"It's not my fault you're easy to insult. I have to insult someone."

"Go and insult Cleon!" said Neal in a hurt voice. "I'm tired of being picked on!"

"Aww, is Nealy-Wealy upset? Poor you!" Neal glared at Kel then put on a stealthy face and looked around the café. When he was sure no one was looking, he raised his coffee cup and let its contents drain into a nearby potted plant's soil with a satisfied grin.

"It always goes cold," he explained as Kel raised her eyebrows.

"That's because we talk too much."

"We don't talk too much! These conversations are valued highly!"

"Neal, we talk about absolute junk. If that's of high value to you, then I'm going to get the phone book and call up the mental asylum."

"My father did always say I was a little deranged..."

"Oh, damn it!" Kel shot up from her seat, almost spilling her coffee; she caught the cup just in time. "Sorry, I forgot, I have to be at uni early today - I have shovel loads of work to do. Sorry."

"See you tomorrow?" Neal asked hopefully, still holding his empty coffee cup. "Valentine's Day."

"Oh, joy of joys." Kel quickly drained her own coffee into the plant pot, not bothering to make sure no one was looking, and patted her handbag to reassure herself that she hadn't forgotten anything. "I'll be there, bright and early." Neal groaned as Kel exited the small shop.


	8. Chapter 8

**Yaaayyy! It's the last chapter! Ok, so... I'm a bit hyper. Yeah. Yuh-huh. Prepare yourselves for a huge A/N.  
**

**Well, ok, first... I need to thank everyone who read and reviewed. I got so many cool reviews for the last chapter that I could just smother everyone in huge, crushing hugs, but seeing as I'm sitting in front of a computer probably on the complete other side of the world to most of you I don't think that would be possible. But, the important thing is, I _would _if I _could. _**

**And, uh... I'd like to express my dire grief because this fabulous fanfiction is drawing to a close. I'm glad it went down so well, and, as I said before, I've started another modern fanfiction. I don't know when I'll post the first chapter but it will be soon (next fortnightish). You guys are so nice, and I'm kind of sad this is the end. I totally loved writing this fanfiction, especially this chapter, so much so that I might actually write a sequel. If I'm bored. But now I'm just rambling on which is bad as I have an 800 word media studies essay to complete tonight, and I need to get used to not talking rubbish so I won't break the word limit. But I didn't even need to tell you that, and I'm still rambling on.  
**

**Hmm, ok - so here's the chapter. The last chapter. -sniff- Well, it's different. And I didn't like the way I wrote the ending. It's a bit clichéd. But oh well. I did my best. And it's kind of cute, in a weird way. And it's different to the rest.**

**And I'm still rambling on and on and on. So, basically, just to give me loads and loads of confidence and yet more hyperness, please review! CC is welcome, as I know my writing isn't perfect (I'd like it to be, but that's not quite possible, even though I think my style has improved massively through using this site) and I'd like some pointers on improvements. So, yes, thank you all massively for being such cool people! Hope you love it, and I'll see you guys around!

* * *

**

The next day dawned foggy and wet; rain lashed viciously against windows and roofs while the faint mist blocked the sight of all. It was Valentine's Day, yet the atrocious weather could have deceived many into thinking it was just another day. Valentine's Day: The day when supposedly romance blossomed, sweet, sugary smells filled the air and each and every human being would be bombarded with the traditional romantic connotations of Valentine's Day: Flowers, hearts, Cupid, deep passionate reds and candyfloss pinks. But on the dreary streets of just another town, only the occasional bouquet of flowers in a shop window or a small heart-shaped balloon pierced the monotonous greys and dull blues of the ugly concrete and bricks and the murky depths of the puddles that mottled the street.

In the very midst of the gloom, a figure emerged from just another block of apartments and, with a slightly hunched body to keep as much as possible dry, it began to jog down the road in a focused attempt to reach the nearby coffee shop. The exceptionally small crowd who had been hoping to meet the love of their life on the day of romance parted to let the figure through.

Kel squinted into the misty gloom. She was leaning casually against the coffee shop wall, having found the canopy above an acceptable shelter from the insistent drizzle that pounded upon the streets. A leather lead hung loosely from her hand, linked to the blood-red collar of her whining dog, who pressed itself as close to the wall as possible, as to be nearer to the drier ground. The figure stepped into Kel's line of sight, and rushed over to her as soon as recognition hit him.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," Neal apologised, leaning against the wall beside her. "Horrific weather."

"Uh huh." Somehow, words did not seem appropriate for the occasion. Each syllable spoken lingered in the damp air, unwilling to meet the ears of those it was intended for.

Silence mingled between the two, gladly consuming any chatty atmosphere that Neal had once held, and masking the air with a reluctant-to-talk kind of tension. They observed the sodden pedestrians strolling along the street until time appeared to slow and the plump raindrops plummeting from the clouds took their time in passing the figures by the coffee shop, each raindrop appearing somehow enchanting and eerily beautiful to onlookers.

"I got you something," Neal stated to the air in front of him. Kel turned to him and frowned.

"... Why?" The puzzlement and confusion on her face was clear. She waited for his answer, wondering why he'd buy something for her for no reason whatsoever. It didn't ever cross her mind that it might be linked to the "special day", the day that was turning out to be, well, not very special.

Neal just smiled, a mysterious smile, a smile that somehow held soft sorrow but also unexplainable delight, and then he reached a hand inside his jacket and drew out a solitary rose, offering it to her.

Kel looked up to him with a blank expression, then down to the flawless red rose in his hands. Her fingers flexed slowly as she reached out to take the proffered flower.

She took her time examining the flower as an artist might examine a work of art, letting her eyes follow the smooth curve of each petal and the teasing thorns that protruded from the rich, grass-green stem. Her fingers ran over the cellophane, a gentle touch, stroking the silky smooth plastic while she stared into oblivion for several moments as though seeing something no one else's eyes could pick up. After several tense moments as Neal watched her with a growing sense of unease, Kel turned to him and ventured an incredibly tiny smile, but one that held so much.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly, her eyes unreadable in the dim gloom.

"Shall we walk?"

"I'd like that," Kel said, so quiet that only he could hear.

As they trekked off down the suddenly less dull street, Kel holding the striking rose to her body, Neal reached out and let his fingers mingle with hers. From within the gloom, Kel smiled to him before gazing out across the street in her usual dreamy manner.


End file.
